Amelia resident removed from council meeting in handcuffs

A special meeting of the Village of Amelia Council was over in less than 10 minutes, but not before one resident was taken out in handcuffs and others were told to leave.

The special meeting was convened for council to review policies and procedures regarding dissolution as they relate to the village charter. Before adjournment council unanimously approved rules making it tougher for citizens to petition for dissolution of the village.

Efforts to dissolve the village began shortly after citizens learned about a council vote to enact a 1 percent earnings tax. The new tax was approved during a special meeting earlier this year and in one reading.

The small council chamber was packed for Friday's special meeting, according to Jaynee Tolle. She was one of multiple people who took time off from work Friday to circulate petitions for placement of a dissolution referendum on the ballot.

More than 170 signatures were collected in a few short hours Friday. The citizens attempted to turn over the petitions to Mayor Todd Hart ahead of the meeting but he refused to accept them, Renee Gerber said. Gerber is the organizer of the dissolution effort. She was removed from the council meeting in handcuffs when she attempted to voice her thoughts.

The mayor said it wasn't residents but nonresidents pushing for dissolution.

Donna Litkenhaus said she's lived in the village her whole life. They attempted to kick her out of the meeting for expressing her opinion but couldn't get to her, but her daughter, Amanda Page, was kicked out.

"We went around for two hours today collecting 171 signatures. We are residents who don't want this," Page said.

Tolle said village residents would be better served if absorbed to Pierce and Batavia Townships.

Hart said it's not as simple as that. If the village is dissolved and divided between the neighboring townships, it and its residents are on the hook for any debts.

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The village has a significant project planned that will bring about 150 jobs to the community. Premier Health Care is making a $30 million investment in Amelia, he said.

The village has sold bonds in excess of $1 million to construct a new intersection at Ohio 125 and Woodlands Drive, he told residents in a prepared statement.

"There will be sidewalks, a traffic light, and a connector road that could someday tie into the Kroger development," he said in his statement. "In order for this project to happen, the village has incurred significant financial and contractual obligations that need to be protected.

Council approved new legislation requiring, in addition to petitions, the approval of two-thirds of its members before dissolution referendum can be accepted by the board of elections for placement oo the ballot.

After the meeting, Gerber and supporters were uncertain of their next steps but vowed the fight is not over.

Previous Reporting: The Village of Amelia is faced with a familiar scenario: the call for dissolution.

About 10 years ago residents of this Clermont County village voted down a referendum for dissolution. If a group of unhappy residents has its way, another referendum could be in the community's future.

During a special meeting 4 p.m. Friday, June 29, at the village administrative offices, 119 W. Main St., council is expected to review policies and procedures regarding dissolution as they relate to the village charter, according to legal representative Joseph Braun. He was mum on whether council will act.

A decade ago the village didn’t have a charter, Braun said. Last November council enacted a charter in preparation of becoming a city in 2020. The new charter could play a role in any dissolution effort.

The source of citizen discontent and calls for dissolution this time around stems from council’s February approval of a 1 percent earnings tax and delayed notification to residents.

Most residents didn't learn about the new earnings tax until April when information was shared on the village's Facebook page.

Process more than the earnings tax itself is the source of discontent among some residents, according to former councilwoman Renee Gerber. She is spearheading the dissolution effort which has a website, www.wakeupamelia.com, and Facebook page, Change for Amelia Village.

Council typically holds three readings for proposed legislation before passage. For the earnings tax, council called a special meeting and the legislation was approved as an emergency - requiring just one reading. Residents didn't have an opportunity to weigh in on the new tax, she said.

Gerber and members of her group will attend Friday's special meeting but are unhappy because they will be unable to address council. Public comments are not permitted at special meetings of Amelia Council, she said.

“As far as I’m concerned, (council) works for us, and they are not representing our views and our opinions,” Gerber said

Braun said that council discussed the need for an earnings tax at several regular meetings that were attended by residents. A Regional Income Tax Authority (RITA) deadline of which council was initially unaware prompted the February emergency vote, he said. RITA is the administrator of earnings taxes for about 300 Ohio communities.

"The intent was always to get it in place by July 1,” Braun said. It was all properly advertised and reported on by local media, he said.

Road and infrastructure improvements are the driving force behind the earnings tax that is expected to raise more than $1 million annually.